I'm not so new anymore but back when I was new here's what happened: after three days of "teaching" my sixth grade son at home, I realized our relationship would never recover from an entire year of math worksheets, English lessons, and the feelings of frustration which marked the end of our, admittedly few, days. So this blog documents our first year of unschooling--the good, the bad, and the better--and then it just keeps on going...

January 2, 2011

Before, After & After

I was going to post some photos of my new craft room/office (formerly Jerry's play room), but we still haven't fixed the PC, which means I still don't have sole use of my laptop, and I can't put photos on the computer I'm using. So, no luck. It's okay, though. You can use your imagination. Here we go:

Imagine a play room so full you rarely, if ever, see the floor. Imagine open bins of toys (nearly all made of small parts, of course) on book shelves, in front of book shelves, on the sofa. Imagine a cluttered desk (at least it looks like a desk--you can't really be sure) and then imagine adding lots of boxes of fabric and craft supplies and electronics equipment and unfinished projects (they're coming from another room) to the mix. That's the before picture.

Have a cup of tea now while a couple weeks pass and I have two appointments with Abbey the Organizer, in addition to doing a lot of organizing and sorting and throwing out and putting things in other rooms (or the garage--it'll come back to haunt me, I know) on my own.

Welcome back! Now imagine an empty desk. An orderly bookcase. A sofa free of anything but a couple pillows (purchased on my recent trip to Crete!). A new (to this room) cabinet of closed shelves that houses sewing supplies in meticulously organized and neatly labeled bins. A lovely wall unit (also new to this room) with neatly organized shelves, drawers of office supplies, a closed cabinet of craft supplies, beautifully framed photos of my adorable nieces and nephews, and a labeled (if slightly disorganized) box of electronics equipment. Now let your eyes wander across the clutter-free, newly swept floor to the opposite wall where six clear plastic bins are full of (neatly folded and organized!) fabric and half-finished (but separated into Ziploc baggies!) projects--all labeled and stacked beneath the window. A one-legged Iron Giant figure laying atop the bookcase is the only item in the entire room that seems out of place. Still, the room looks great. Savor it. It's not going to last.

Now, go downstairs and peek around the corner of the former "wreck" room. It's still a wreck, but it's officially becoming Warren's office and music room now. It used to be our shared office. And it was the place we stored--well, just about everything that wouldn't fit in the garage. So all my writing paraphernalia, all the family memorabilia, all the boxes of stuff from when Jerry still called himself Batman (including his little black cape!), the magazines, and the other non-Warren, non-music-related items will be leaving this room to go to their new home--my craft room/office.

OK. Now have another cup of tea because a week needs to pass in which Warren and I organize and categorize almost everything in the "wreck" room.

Welcome back once again! Now, take a deep, calming breath before stepping into the craft room/office. The wall unit is still there. It's still neatly organized (though there are a couple stacks of papers that weren't there before). The bookcase and the sewing cabinet look the same-except the Iron Giant on the bookcase has both his legs now. There's a different (prettier) desk (also new to the room!) and it's still blissfully free of clutter. But, now look at the floor. Look harder, smart ass! It's there. You just can't see it because of all the friggin' boxes full of the crap we brought up from the "wreck" room.

So, there you have it. The before and after and after of the craft room/office. The first after was really nice. The second one? Not so much.

Still, I plan on having it all categorized in neat little boxes by the time Abbey comes back on the 11th. Looks like I'd better get busy!

5 comments:

:-)) Loved reading that!I remember when we started our clear out going through that exact process! Rooms would be in uproar for weeks ( months,in the case of my lounge, as we stored all the furniture for sale!)I felt as though I was living in one of those puzzles where you have a space and keep moving the tiles around to create a picture:-)It will be so worth it though. xxx

I loved the walk-through!! Now you've got me yearning for more organization. We have plans for our front room which was going to be an office that we've now decided to make a library. At the moment it is the dumping ground for everything. Maybe you can send Abbey over when you're done with her. ;P

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"It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for what this delicate little plant needs more than anything, besides stimulation, is freedom. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty."